Just a quick FYI for the clean-a-holic, restoration folks... I was rebuilding a steering column from my 91 Firebird this weekend, and I noticed the finish was a bit wonky. A few seconds later I realized the Isopropyl Alcohol I was using to clean up grease was attacking the paint on the lower plastic collar. Not only did it attack the paint, but I was able to clean ALL the flat black paint off the lower collar with nothing more than rubbing alcohol and a couple paper towels. Under the flat black was the shiniest molded black plastic I've ever seen.

I'm not sure what other parts may be painted with the same lightweight paint, but I figure it's worth a heads up for those that may not want to have a bling bling lower column, or may not want to repaint the column. In this case, the car is a filthy basket case, so it really needed to be repainted anyway.

FWIW.

 

So what you are saying is no alcohol when messing with the steering column? - Good Idea. j/k

I have run into this as well with some parts, the alcohol is like stripper and will just remove the paint. I forget what I was trying to clean and it made a mess... A little SEM primer and Paint and whala, good as new (SEM is not Alcohol safe either BTW)

 

I was going more for raising awareness that at least in some cases the steering column is painted, and that the paint is not the most durable out there. In this case I was being a bit cavalier in my approach to cleaning the parts, because they were a massive greasy filthy mess. I can imagine some other scenarios where it might be handy to know the paint can be wiped off relatively easily, such as if the old paint is weathered and the part is to be refinished anyway. There it is, free info, for whatever it's worth.

 

Drew, Thanks for the heads up

 

Sorry this is an old thread but important for those going stock. I’m glad I started searching about this before I cleaned all the paint away. I figured it was a texture or a lot of grease but it is in fact paint. I recommend using water and a toothbrush to avoid having to repaint completely. I like the matte look and super duper shiny things make me nervous.

 

Krylon Fusion Semi-Gloss Black is a near perfect match for OEM, FWIW.

 

I had a grey column I used to repair by black column in my 1990 iroc ... and sure as heck, brake clean pretty much removed the grey paint and left me with a nice black finish. Not sure what paint GM used ... but no hardener in it at all. Which for me ... worked out well. Quick fix.

 

Just a quick question for you mark_zz3 does the shininess of the column still match your matte interior pieces or is it not super glossy underneath the column paint?

 

I don't recall it being super shiny. BUT I also think t might have been a replacement part from GM over the years. I questioned whether it was original as the paint came off so easy. But it might be that way. When I put it back together, I didn't notice the upper and lower being so different in color or shine. But that was just my setup ... I can't say it's 100% original.